The last thing I expected to hear shine on a pseudo-solo album
from the former guitarist of Extreme was amazing vocal prowess. I
had rather expected it'd be filled with
Pornograffiti-esque solos or more wank-rock in the style of
the "faded guitarist" mode. Truth be told I like Extreme, and I
think that the influences they drew from Queen should have been
allowed to shine through more, as they seemed most successful when
channeling Brian May and Freddie Mercury. Tales of Nuno Bettencourt
(or just Nuno as he's been called of late) on stage with Brian make
me grin, as both are among my favorite guitarists.

The one aspect of
Mourning Widows that stuns me is Nuno's amazing vocals. This
is actually his second full-length effort outside of Extreme, and
the first one that sports a band name - Mourning Widows. After some
troubling starts, it never did get distributed in the US, so I've
had to content myself with an imported copy.

The album starts out with a monologue about keeping the
performances in the studio as real as can be given onstage. The
idea of somewhat stripped-down rock is held through the entire
album, with enhancements in just the right places - as evidenced by
the hard-rock infused with harmonies of the first three tracks. The
fourth track, "The Air That You Breathe" is one that I really don't
get into - but otherwise the first third are songs that feature
great hooks, glossy harmonies and beautiful execution.

The fifth track is one that allows Nuno's subtle,
Springsteen-ish humor to shine through. "I Wanna Be Your Friend"
starts out with two minutes of interestingly distorted drums
reminiscent of the solo from Zappa's "Packard Goose." The song
always makes me grin, with lyrics like "I promise not to drool / On
your date / When we hang." This piece is one of the highlights from
the album.

The second half of the album sparkles with a couple tracks, but
the others can probably be glossed over. "Love Is A Cigarette" is a
very nice showcase for the amazing guitar stylings of Nuno, which
amaze me every time I listen to this song. "Hotel Asylum" is a fun
track, but certainly not the greatest on the album.

"Over & Out" and "Too Late" are gorgeous, each in its own
right. Jon Anderson of Yes has often been accused of writing
"beautiful nonsense" - Nuno Bettencourt seems to have studied at
the more modern school of beautiful nonsense, and both of these
tracks demonstrate that ably. "Over & Out" has Nuno screaming
emotional epithets tempered with resignation at a former lover; it
certainly shows that his writing, if nothing else, is terribly
genuine. "Too Late" resonates with abstract notions solidified in
concrete images - and it kicks the vocals again into the
forefront.

The remaining three tracks on my Japanese import include the
only real "slow" song on the album - "True Love In The Galaxy," a
song that really must be heard to be experienced. The solo closing
it out is one of the most restrained solos I've ever heard, and
Nuno manages to make the guitar cry with anguish and scream with
desire. The other two tracks, both bonus, are just that - a final
cap to a very satisfying album.

Nuno's vocals and songwriting show through here far more than
the guitar playing, which seems to be exactly what he needs and
aimed for. The hits are strong hits, and the misses are more fouls
than strikes.